Rail speed limits lifted

Gauge corner cracking is being investigated

A number of speed restrictions are being lifted on Scotland's main rail lines following progress to improve the track.

Railtrack has confirmed that its rail recovery programme has advanced well over the last few weeks.

That means temporary restrictions on the West Coast Main Line are being removed on Saturday and speed limits on the track between Sheildmuir south and Garriongill will be lifted on Monday.

Passenger journeys have been hit

One restriction on the east coast line will also go this weekend, but the Edinburgh to Glasgow service is still subject to a 25 minute delay. It will not return to normal until late December.

The speed restrictions have heavily affected services and inconvenienced passengers.

But Railtrack said they were necessary in order to tighten up its criteria on gauge corner cracking.

The company introduced temporary speed limits in the wake of the Hatfield crash, which killed four men.

Speed limits

There was chaos when the west coast line was closed between Glasgow and Carlisle at short notice on 25 October.

After the line was re-opened Railtrack announced it was introducing the speed limits on 14 stretches of Scottish track.

They were among the 350 sites across the UK where the company identified hairline cracks on rails.

Meanwhile, there has been criticism of the decision to appoint Railtrack's financial director Stephen Marshall as the company's new chief executive, following the resignation of Gerald Corbett.

Technical ability

A Labour member of the Commons transport committee - Cunningham South MP Brian Donohoe - said the move failed to address a lack of technical expertise at the top of the company.

"I believe that the whole board of Railtrack should resign," he said.

"At the very least we should see some technical ability in the board of Railtrack itself."

The RMT transport union says the government should supervise a far-reaching review of rail operations.